Baozi Xishi's Struggle

Chapter 462 Wheat Dumplings and Yuanbao Dumplings

Shen Yu rolled the dumpling wrappers by himself, while the three Li family members were making them. Surprisingly, they were able to supply them and there was some left over from time to time.

This caused Zheng Sanniang to ask her to slow down again and again, saying that the more anxious she was, the worse the dumplings would be. She was worried that the rolled dumpling skins would stick together if left for too long.

Shen Yu smiled and said, "Don't panic, Sister Zheng, just take your time."

"We brought this flour from the restaurant. We added a few eggs to it when we kneaded it. The kitchen here is colder than our restaurant."

"If you roll out the dumpling wrappers and leave them out for half an hour, they won't stick together."

As they were talking, Yutao and Dundun came over. They stood at the door, stomped off the snow on the soles of their shoes, put two oil-paper umbrellas aside, and then went in.

Yu Taodong's face was flushed and her eyes were bright. As soon as she came to Shen Yu's side, she happily reported: "Sister, I pasted window paper-cuts on the windows of the county magistrate's back office."

"Brother Dun Dun and Yu Cheng even hung up all the red lanterns."

"Now the yard is bright red against the white snow, it's so beautiful."

"Both adults praised us for our ability to decorate, saying that this is how the New Year feels."

Shen Yu imagined the scene and it was indeed beautiful.

Li said worriedly, "You two are here, but where are Yucheng and Xiaozhuzi? Why didn't they come back together?"

Dun Dun said hurriedly, "Yucheng and Xiao Zhuzi are listening to the prefectural governor telling stories. My sister Yutao and I are worried that you are too busy, so we came to help."

Li was relieved and said with a smile, "You two came at the right time. We were just saying that Yuzhi rolled the dumpling wrappers too fast and we couldn't keep up with the dumplings."

"You two, wash your hands and come over to help."

The two of them quickly agreed and went to wash their hands in the basin beside them.

Yutao helped to make the dumplings, while Dundun was responsible for placing the dumplings on a large tray and placing them one by one under the eaves of the outdoor corridor.

It was snowing heavily outside and it felt noticeably colder. It was a natural refrigerator for storing the dumplings.

The technique of making dumplings at that time was slightly different from that of modern times. The dumplings were made into the shape of a plump ear of wheat, and the edges of the dumplings had to be wrapped very delicately.

To wrap a dumpling, one has to pinch it carefully from left to right and up and down many times, which is why the three ladies wrap it so slowly.

Shen Yu didn't need to look at her hands when she was rolling the dumpling skins. While she was rolling the dumplings, she watched everyone there slowly wrapping them one by one. Her fingers were flying but the progress was slow.

Shen Yu couldn't help but smile and said, "There are many shapes of dumplings. We don't have to just make wheat ear dumplings."

"There is also a kind of Yuanbao dumplings, which look like small Yuanbao and look very nice, but they are much faster to wrap than these wheat ear dumplings."

As she spoke, she picked up a dumpling wrapper, added an appropriate amount of stuffing, and then pinched and squeezed it with both hands. A dumpling with a round belly that looked like a gold ingot was wrapped.

Yu Tao looked at it and said, "Hey, last time Mr. Yang wanted to eat mushroom dumplings, my sister made this kind, right?"

The Li family members went to the temple to burn incense that day, so they didn't see him.

Seeing it for the first time, he couldn't help but smile and said, "This dumpling is good, it looks good, the name is auspicious, and it's much faster to wrap than these wheat ear dumplings."

The three ladies said they wanted to learn how to make dumplings in this way.

Shen Yu immediately demonstrated a few of them.

However, this method looks simple, but it is not so easy to wrap it yourself.

Several people failed in wrapping dumplings. Either they couldn't put the stuffing in, or the dumplings leaked or broke when they were squeezed. They all gave up.

Only Yutao, who probably didn't know how to make dumplings to begin with, didn't have any concerns and learned how to make them after trying a few.

In the end, Shen Yu had to roll out the dough alone, the three ladies made wheat ear dumplings, and Yutao made ingot dumplings.

Shen Yu would have to stop what he was doing from time to time and continue wrapping the dumplings for a while so that there would be no place to put the rolled dumpling skins.

Considering that there were many people in the county government office and they all had big appetites, it took an entire hour and more than a dozen trays of dumplings before everyone finally stopped.

It was almost noon and the loud sound of firecrackers could be heard from time to time.

Occasionally, there was the sound of a "crack" as branches in the yard were broken by the weight of the snow.

The snow outside was falling heavier and heavier, and a thick layer of snow had accumulated on the ground. Although the windows were covered with thick linen paper, the room was brighter when reflected by the white snow.

The dumplings were wrapped, and the steamed fish and stewed chicken that Li and her family had prepared were ready. Even the steamed duck with lotus fragrance had been steamed in the steamer for a long time and was emitting a rich aroma.

Shen Yu started to cook a few side dishes. After these dishes were ready, the New Year’s Eve dinner could begin.

Although it is called the New Year’s Eve dinner, the New Year’s Eve dinner at this time is not the meal in the evening, but the meal at noon.

At the beginning of the twelfth lunar month, Shen Yu watched Li busying around preparing for the New Year, and quietly asked Yu Tao: "Why do we have to eat New Year's Eve dinner at noon? Do we still have to eat another meal like this in the evening?"

There was surprise and pity in Yutao's eyes. She probably felt that her sister had not recovered fully from the fall and still could not remember anything about the past.

She said based on her memory of previous Chinese New Year celebrations: "In previous years, after eating the New Year's Eve dinner at noon, we would burn incense to our ancestors at night."

"We eat rice cakes, glutinous rice balls, Ruyi fruit, sugar-roasted chestnuts, winter melon candy, and then stay up until dawn."

"When I was a kid, my father told me that in the capital, the emperor would lead his ministers to offer sacrifices to the heavens on this day."

"I prayed for good weather and good harvests in the coming year, and for peace and prosperity for the country and the people. I was still young at that time, so I don't remember much about it."

When Yutao spoke to the end, she probably thought of the only carefree childhood she had when Shen Xiucai was alive, and felt a little sad.

Of course Shen Yu didn't have that feeling. She just heard Yutao's example that the evening meal was all sweets, and her teeth felt sour as she didn't like sweets.

After hearing this, I couldn't help but grin in fear, wondering whether I should take some time to make some salty snacks to pass the long night, and then I never mentioned this matter again.

Unexpectedly, on this year's New Year's Eve, I was called by the county magistrate to cook in the county government office.

Having to cook meals for so many people at once, Shen Yu had no time to care about having only sweets in the evening and had already thrown the dessert banquet aside.

At this time, she was busy frying the dried radish and bacon in her hand. After frying this dish, all the dishes for the New Year's Eve dinner would be ready.

The bacon pickled by Shen Yu tastes good. As the shovel turns it, an overbearing and strange aroma wafts around, tempting people to eat.

Looking at the bacon slices on the plate, whose fat part was almost transparent but whose lean meat was bright red, Shen Yu felt very satisfied.